Flush wall floral hanger



Dec. 6, 1966 A. L. FERr-:Nz

FLUSH WALL FLORAL HANGER Filed April 16, 1965 EWLMLJ Z Z 347// 35 7.4 Mo 15/ 6.

TFOENEY.

UnitedStates Patent O 3,289,989 FLUSH WALL FLORAL HANGER Arthur L. Ferenz, 1690 Tacoma Way, Redwood City, Calif. Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,767 2 Claims. (Cl. 24S- 205) This invention relates to supports adapted for use in wall constructions wherein a dependable and sturdy connection element is required which may, for aesthetic or other reasons, be conveniently stored in a concealed position when not in use. One environment for use of this device wherein particular utility is contemplated is in mortuaries and the like in supporting floral displays.

In `the construction of wall units wherein it is, on occasion, necessary to suspend decorative or other materials from the wall, conventional hook assemblies, and pivotally movable hooks have been previously proposed. However, previous proposals have failed to find general acceptance either as undependable from the standpoint of strength and durability, or unsightliness. The present invention has, as one important objective thereof, the provision lof `a hook assembly for use in connection with a vertical wall construction which combines the advantages of strength and non-complexity of construction, and which is retractable 4to a position within the `wall wherein It is not readily visible when stored.

A related object of importance resides in the provision of a retractable hook assembly including a housing and a hook member, the hook member having a pair of abutment edges which coact with a single cross pin to hold the hook member in alternative storage and operational positions. Still another object is to provide a hook member as indicated, which is shaped such that its weight distribution is arranged to readily pivot it between its said alternate positions.

A further object is to supply a hook member as aforesaid Iwherein there is provided `an inner end edge which, in operational position, slopes downwardly and outwardly from the wall to support flower containers and the like in spaced relationship to the wall and avoid damage thereto.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of a wall, showing devices constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention in place thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, detail cross-sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a support hereof, as seen from the line 3 3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a medial, sectional view; and

FIG. 6 is another top plan view, showing the hook member of the `assembly in extended position.

Proceeding to a more detailed description of a preferred form of the invention as shown in the drawing, the invention is generally designated therein by reference numeral 10, and is adapted for mounting in a wall construction W which, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, in-

- cludes an interior structure 12 of some type (such as sheathing or studding), and an outer facing material 14 such as paneling or the like. The outer facing material has an exterior surface 16, and has a vertically arranged, substantially rectangular slot 18 formed therein for a purpose appearing below.

3,289,989 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 ice The hook assembly 10, for mounting in the wall W, has ya housing 20 which includes a back wall 22 andvopposite side walls, 24, 26. The housing is of generally U-shape when viewed from the ends, as seen in FIG. 1, with the back wall 22 forming the bi'ght portion of the U, and the side walls forming the arms thereof, the side walls being arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to the back wall and substantially parallel to one another. Each side wall is substantially rectangular, and the walls have outer end portions 28, and top and bottom ends 30, 32. Outwardly extending flanges 34 are provided on each of the outer end portions 28 of the side walls, the flanges extending the full length of the end portions and having plural openings 36 formed therein.

Referring to FIG. 2, as shown therein, the housing 20 is mounted to the interior structure 12 of the walls W beneath the paneling 16, with the back wall 22 andthe space between the side walls 24 and 26 aligned with the slot 18. Means, such as nails 38, is extended through the openings 36 to secure the flanges to the interior structure.

A cross pin 40, shown in the form of a double headed rivet, is extended between the side walls of the housing intermediate the top and bottom ends 30 and 32 thereof, and adjacent the back wall 22. A second pivot pin 42 of similar form, extends between 4the side walls of the housing, and as shown in FIG. l, is arranged forwardly and below the location of the cross pin 40.

A hook member 44, formed of an elongated blank of metallic stock is pivotally secured on the pin 42 which extends through an opening 46 therein. The hook member includes a substantially straight outer end edge 48, and has an outer hook portion 50 with an inner wall S2, the hook portion being arranged such that its general longitudinal extent is substantially perpendicular Ito the outer end edge 48 of the hook member. The hook member further includes an inner end edge 53 which slopes upwardly away from the hook and terminates in a point portion 54 at its juncture with an interior storage abutment 56. An interior support abutment edge 58 extends in perpendicular relation to the edge 56 to the terminal end 60 of the hook member.

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 5, as shown therein the hook member is pivotal from a storage position shown in FIGURE 2, wherein the outer end edge 48 is recessed with respect to the outer surface 16 of the paneling 14, and wherein the edge 56 abuts the cross pin 40 to maintain the same in position, to an extended position (FIGURE 5) for use in supporting a floral display F or the like. In this operational position, the edge 48 is substantially perpendicular with respect -to the surface 16, and the support abutment edge 58 bears against the cross pin to maintain the same in position.

As is inherent in the description above, it will be noted that the operation merely involves movement of the device from storage to operational positions by an inward force applied to the edge 48, whether above or below the pivot thereof, depending on the position desired. The sloping wall 53 terminating in the pointed portion 54, in addition to supplying the necessary relationship of the abutment walls 56, 58 with respect to one another to maintain the device in its alternative positions, also provides an appropriate weight distribution for the pivoting of the device about this axis. In the folded, storage position, the device is unobtrusive, :and does not detract from the appearance of the wall surface, and in its extended operational position, as shown in FIGURE 5, the article to be supported is held in spaced relationship to the surface 16, thereby avoiding damage to the surface from moisture, scratching, or the like.

Having described andillustrated one form of -this invention in some detail, it will be understood that lthis description and illustration are offered merely by 4way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A retractable hook assembly mounted in a wall construction which includes an interior structure and facing material secured over the interior structure, the facing material having an outer surface and having a vertically extending slot formed therein, the hook assembly comprising:

a housing including a back wall and side walls;

the side walls having outer end portions and top and bott-om ends;

flange means on the side walls, the flanges each having a plurality of openings formed therein;

means extending through the flange openings lconnecting the flanges to the interior structure of the Wall, with the anges located between the interior structure and the facing material thereof;

a cross pin extended between the side walls of the housing intermedi-ate the top and bottom ends thereof and adjacent the back Wall;

a pivot pin extending between the side walls of the housing forwardly and below the location of the 'cross pin;

a hook member pivotally secured on the pivot pin and swingable through the slot, the hook member including a substantially straight outer end edge, an outer hook substantially perpendicular to the outer end edge, an inner edge sloping upwardly away from the hook, an interior support abutment edge, a storage abutment edge substantially perpendicular to the support abutment edge; and

the hook member being pivoted from a storage position wherein its outer end edge is recessed with respect to the outer surface of the facing material and the storage abutment edge contacts the cross pin, to an operational extended position wherein the outer end edge is -substantially perpendicular to the facing material outer surface and the support abutment edge contacts the lcross pin.

2. A retractable hook assembly for supporting flower containers mounted in la wall construction which includes an interior structure and facing material secured ove-r the interior structure, the facing material having an outer surface and having a vertically extending slot formed therein,

.the hook assembly comprising:

a housing including aback wall and elongated, substantially rectangularside walls arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to the back wall and substantially parallel t-o one another;

the side walls having outer end porti-ons, and top and bottoms ends; t

an outwardly extending flange on the outer end portion of each side wall, the flanges each having a plurality of openings therein;

means extending through the flange openings connecting the flanges to the interior structure of the wall, with the flanges located between the interior structure land the facing material thereof;

a cross pin extended between the side walls yof the housing intermediate the top and bottom ends thereof and adjacent the back Wall;

a pivot pin extending between the side walls of the housing forwardly and below the location of the cross pin;

a hook member pivotally secured on the pivot pin and swingable through said slot, the hook member including a substantially straight outer end edge, an outer hook substantially perpendicular to the outer end edge, an inner end edge sloping upwardly away from the hook, an interi-or support abutment edge, a storage abutment edge substantially perpendicular to the support abutmentl edge; and

the hook member being pivoted from a storage position wherein its outer end edge is recessed with respect to the outer surface of the facing material and the storage abutment edge contacts the cross pin, to an operational extended position wherein the outer end edge is substantially perpendicular to the facing material outer surface and the support abutment edge contacts the -cross pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1903 Hall 248-294 6/ 1926 Patterson 248-294 X 4/ 1928 Dalton 248--308 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/ 1920 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. JOHN PETO, Examiner. 

1. A RETRACTABLE HOOK ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN A WALL CONSTRUCTION WITH INCLUDES AN INTERIOR STRUCTURE AND FACING MATERIAL SECURED OVER THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE, THE FACING MATERIAL HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE AND HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SLOT FORMED THEREIN, THE HOOK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A HOUSING INCLUDING A BACK WALL AND SIDE WALLS; THE SIDE WALLS HAVING OUTER END PORTIONS AND TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS; FLANGE MEANS ON THE SIDE WALLS, THE FLANGES EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN; MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE FLANGE OPENINGS CONNECTING THE FLANGES TO THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE WALL, WITH THE FLANGES LOCATED BETWEEN THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE AND THE FACING MATERIAL THEREOF; A CROSS PIN EXTENDED BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS THEREOF AND ADJACENT THE BACK WALL; A PIVOT PIN EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE HOUSING FORWARDLY AND BELOW THE LOCATION OF THE CROSS PIN; A HOOK MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED ON THE PIVOT PIN AND SWINGABLE THROUGH THE SLOT, THE HOOK MEMBER INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT OUTER END EDGE, AN OUTER HOOK SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE OUTER END EDGE, AN INNER EDGE SLOPING UPWARDLY AWAY FROM THE HOOK, AN INTERIOR SUPPORT ABUTMENT EDGE, A STORAGE ABUTMENT EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE SUPPORT ABUTMENT EDGE; AND THE HOOK MEMBER BEING PIVOTED FROM A STORAGE POSITION WHEREIN ITS OUTER END EDGE IS RECESSED WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE FACING MATERIAL AND THE STORAGE ABUTMENT EDGE CONTACTS THE CROSS PIN, TO AN OPERATIONAL EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN THE OUTER END EDGE IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE FACING MATERIAL OUTER SURFACE AND THE SUPPORT ABUTMENT EDGE CONTACTS THE CROSS PIN. 